Resistance
by Adelina
Summary: Re-uploaded as it mysteriously disappeared, with *new chapter*. A sequel to E.T.I.C.M.E, but can stand alone, 6th year, angst, action, suspense and surprises. Enjoy :)
1. Chapter1

Author's notes: Grrrrrr, I can't believe this story fell into my head! Now   
when am I supposed to revise?!? Grrrrr again. Um, please don't badger me   
for parts every day because I remember how stressed I got last time. You   
don't have to have read "Every time I Close My Eyes", as anything   
important will be explained as we go along. Oh and just to clear   
something up, Sirius wasn't cleared last time, he was on the Quidditch   
pitch with Harry because everyone in Hogwarts at the time knew he was   
innocent. Um, that's it, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: U know the drill, I only own the story.  
  
*Resistance.*  
  
Ron Weasley couldn't sleep. Well, that wasn't exactly true, he could sleep,   
he just really really didn't want to. Every time he felt himself drifting off   
he slammed his eyes open and stared at the ceiling, listening to Fred's low   
snores. This had been his nightly ritual for almost the whole summer, there   
only being another two weeks to go. Ron desperately wanted the week to   
pass, because, hopefully, his two best friends would be coming to stay.   
This wasn't usual for Ron. Usually he wanted the summer to drag by,   
school being something nasty to be avoided. But the events of his fifth   
year had changed him. Ron's parents had been held hostage by Lord   
Voldemort, and Ron hadn't known if they were dead or alive for days.   
Even with them back, safe, in their home, Ron couldn't stop feeling lost   
and alone. Each night Ron was confronted by horrible visions, his parents   
chained together, bruised and beaten. His best friend, Harry Potter, being   
tortured at the hands of a cruel Death Eater. Ron might have been able to   
brush off these scenes as nothing but nightmares created by his   
subconscious, but for the fact he knew they were real. These things had   
really happened, and he had seen them happen through a device   
containing Harry's memories.   
Ron slammed his eyes open once again, mentally kicking himself. Of   
course, he hadn't told anyone about his recurring nightmare. His parents   
were already looking more tired than he had ever seen them, and his   
younger sister, Ginny, looked to be only just getting over the last year's   
events herself. That is why Ron so desperately wanted his friends to   
arrive. Hermione had seen all that he had, he knew he could talk to her   
about what happened. And Harry, well Harry had plenty of experience   
with nightmares. 'My dreams are probably nothing compared to Harry's,'   
thought Ron. He got up slowly, not wanting to fight sleep again so soon,   
and gazed out of his window at the perfect full moon.   
  
The moon shone down on Privet Drive, glinting off the glasses of sixteen   
year old Harry Potter. Harry squinted into the darkness, anxiously   
awaiting the soft swish of feathers or a flicker of white which would   
signal Hedwig's return. Harry's owl had been gone for two nights,   
delivering a letter to Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. Every time Harry   
sent him a letter set the same sequence of events. Harry would stay up   
ridiculously late each night watching the sky, then disappointedly fall into   
bed. Then he would get up very early and stare around at Hedwig's cage.   
Seeing nothing, he would walk dejectedly downstairs. Harry no longer had   
to cook the breakfast, or do any other household chores. The previous   
summer, Harry's Aunt had left along with Dudley to live with another   
man. Harry's Uncle had got so mad he had attacked Harry, causing Mr   
Weasley to stun him. Vernon had been taken away, where, Dumbledore   
wouldn't say. This didn't upset Harry in the slightest, what upset him was   
that he still had to stay at Privet Drive. Dumbeldore had told him the   
protections on the house were made solely for Harry, and it was still the   
best place for him to be. Harry had argued that since Voldemort was   
trapped several thousand years in the past he wasn't in much danger.   
Dumbledore had reset his anxiety however with a stern talk about how   
Voldemort was highly unlikely to just stay put in the past. So Harry was   
all alone in the house, except for a visit every other day from his old   
teacher, Remus Lupin.  
Remus checked up on Harry, ensuring he was eating properly and hadn't   
blown anything up, but Harry suspected he was also checking his general   
mood. The reason Harry was even now intently staring, awaiting Sirius'   
reply, was that Voldemort has captured Sirius and the Weasley's just a   
few months ago, and Harry had driven himself to distraction worrying   
about them. Now, it was like Harry couldn't stand not hearing from Sirius.   
It made Harry feel physically ill not knowing where Sirius was or what he   
was doing. Harry knew he couldn't visit, it would be too dangerous, but   
he couldn't help how he felt. The only bright spot he could see was going   
to his friend Ron's house. Harry had avoided confessing his anxiety to   
Lupin, but felt sure he could confide in Ron and Hermione.   
Harry sighed, glancing at his calendar which was once again marked with   
the word, "Weasley's", past his birthday cards to Hedwig's empty cage.   
Bidding goodbye to the moon Harry crawled back into his bed.  
  
Hermione rolled over under her blankets. The warm lump that was   
Crookshanks fell with a bump onto the floor, his hissing making   
Hermione wince. "Sorry." She whispered. Crookshanks, apparently   
disgusted, made for the door, pulling it open with a well placed paw.   
Hermione shivered in the slight breeze and got out of bed to shut it again.   
The moonlight shone through the gap in her curtains, she could see the   
moon was full as she squinted in the light. She wondered for a moment   
where Professor Lupin was, then remember Harry's letter telling her about   
Lupin's visits. Hermione couldn't believe one of her best friends was   
basically living alone, and after all he had been through so recently. The   
familiar wave of gloom descended on her as she thought of the events of   
the past year. She remembered everyone's happy faces when Harry and   
Snuffles had come back, closely followed by a beaming teary eyed Neville   
and his parents. She wondered where her feeling of contentment had gone.   
Voldemort was trapped somewhere far away, Neville's family had been   
reunited, why did she feel so worried? Maybe it was the memory of   
Harry's strained and pale face. He had been in so much pain, in so much   
danger, and she hadn't even noticed. Of course, that had been the whole   
point, he didn't want anyone to notice.   
Hermione sank back into bed, reaching for her wristwatch. She peered at   
the date, and worked out there were two weeks to go. Hermione always   
wanted to get back to schoolwork, but this time she was extra anxious.   
She wanted to be with people she could talk to about their last year. She   
wanted to be with Ron and Harry. She would be able to tell Ron how   
worried she was that she wouldn't see it if Harry was hiding something,   
that they wouldn't know anything was wrong until it was too late. This   
was beginning to be her biggest fear.  
Then of course, there were other things she wanted to talk about. She felt   
herself blush when she remembered a certain event from their last year.   
She couldn't exactly share her anxiety about that with Ron. She felt   
herself blush even harder at the thought. As Hermione settled down to   
sleep, her thoughts were at The Burrow, where hopefully soon all her fears   
would be put to rest by the people she cared about the most.  
  
The bright full moon bathed the English countryside in silver, everything   
was tranquil and calm. But it didn't last. A strong wind whipped up   
suddenly, appearing from nowhere. A few leaves were blown off the trees,   
and a low rumbling disturbed the night. Buildings seemed to vibrate, and   
sleeping birds were startled into flight. Ron Weasley felt the window   
frame shiver under his hand. Harry Potter was woken by his glasses   
rattling on his desk. Hermione Granger jumped as Crookshanks ran back   
inside, terrified. And where the wind blew strongest and the moon's light   
created a false day, the leaves and dust created a dazzling silver   
whirlwind. A flash, and it was gone, now only debris in it's place, but it   
was replaced by shadow. A skeletal shadow with eyes of crimson. This   
time, was a time for revenge.  
  
  



	2. Chapter2

Author's notes: Right well, here we are again. From this story you can   
expect pig piles of angst, big piles of action, some really really intense bits   
and just a splash of romance. hint: something for everyone. Once again   
bear with me as it gets going, once again it shall be worth it :) (I hope!)  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the story  
  
*Resistance* - Chapter 2  
  
Tap tap tap.  
  
Harry Potter's eyes snapped open. He stumbled out of bed so fast he got   
tangled up in his blankets, and fell in a heap infront of the window. Not to   
be deterred, he scrambled forward and yanked the window open, and in   
flew his snowy owl, Hedwig. Harry's grin threatened to take his head off.   
She hooted softly at him, apparently amused at his antics, then offered her   
leg. In his excitement Harry nearly ripped the parchment while unrolling   
it, but finally got it spread out onto his bed. He read,  
  
*Harry,  
It's good to hear you and Moony are getting along so well. I know you are   
bored, but remember you'll be back at school soon. I'm safe where I am,   
you have to stop worrying so much. Dumbledore himself recommended   
this place. I'll try to visit you when school starts. There's something I   
think you should do. Write to Dragon. You remember how he was in the   
hospital wing? I'll bet staying with Snape isn't as great as he was making   
it out to be. Give it some thought.  
Snuffles*  
  
Harry blinked. Write to Draco Malfoy? What was he supposed to say?   
Hey, how are you, sorry to hear your father was a murdering Death Eater   
and you had to send him to Azkaban? Harry glanced at his writing desk,   
there was a piece of parchment all ready. He sat down, and wrote, feeling   
a bit silly,  
  
*Dear Draco,*  
  
Harry paused. After a moment's thought he scrubbed out the 'Dear'.   
Harry was stumped. He really didn't know what to write. Maybe he would   
finish this after breakfast.  
  
Ron tripped down the last few steps into the Burrow's kitchen, rubbing   
the sleep out of his eyes. His mother was bustling over the stove, Fred and   
George were busily wolfing down toast and Ginny was already well into   
"Witch Weekly". Ron plonked himself down and started buttering toast.  
"Did you guys feel that shaking last night?" he asked. Mr Weasley looked   
up from his paper.   
"You mean the tremor? No, but there's a column in 'The Prophet' about   
it. Says it happened around four this morning." He read.  
"Why were you up at four in the morning?" Asked Ginny, her eyes   
watching him over her magazine. Ron felt himself go slightly pink.  
"Um, dunno, just couldn't get comfortable."  
"Probably dreaming about a certain someone more likely." Said George   
with a wicked grin to Fred.  
"What do you mean!" Ron could feel the heat growing on his face.   
"Oh nothing, nothing." Said Fred after a stern look from their mother. Ron   
sank down in his chair as far as possible, which wasn't a lot as he was so   
tall, and fervently wished his friends would get there soon.  
  
Harry left the bacon sizzling and went to get the paper. Lupin would arrive   
to check up on him in a few hours, then he wouldn't be so bored. Maybe   
he could help him with the letter to Draco? He picked up the paper from   
the mat and turned it over. Under the main story, there was small piece on   
a 'tremor' that has happened last night. Harry then remembered everything   
rattling for a few minutes, he had forgotten about it when he went to sleep.   
Something in the back of his head was telling him to be wary, this tremor   
meant something. Harry scanned the article but didn't see anything   
sinister. Trying to shake the feeling off he dished up his breakfast. His   
eyes kept straying back to the article. No, this couldn't be anything to do   
with Voldemort, or even wizards. Sure, tremors didn't happen very often   
in England, but that didn't mean anything. Did it? Anyway, his scar   
would have hurt if Voldemort was back. Harry nodded his head to his   
silent argument. He would have had a dream or something, and he   
hadn't. No, the biggest thing he had to worry about this year was   
befriending Draco Malfoy, no mean feat in itself. His thoughts back on his   
letter upstairs, Harry quickly washed his plate in the sink, not even letting   
the thought that only last year Voldemort had found a way to control his   
dreams disrupt his improved mood.  
  
Ron had never ran up the stairs to his room so fast. Finally, his mother had   
said those magic words, "Why don't you ask Harry and Hermione to stay   
next week?" Ron threw himself at his cramped desk and hastily scribbled   
out two identical notes.  
  
* Mum says you can stay next week! Write back and tell me if you can.  
Ron.*   
  
He then spun around to Pig's cage, and felt his stomach drop. He   
remembered, seeing the empty cage, how he had leant Pig to Fred and   
George to send some joke ideas to the head of Zonkos manufacturers. Ron   
let out a huge sigh of frustration and fell back onto his bed. Pig had been   
gone two days already, and Ron had no idea how long he would be. If   
Percy hadn't have moved out he could have used his owl, and for a   
sudden irrational second Ron wished he hadn't moved out. Then his   
senses returned and he remembered how annoying Percy had become. Ron   
decided that if Pig was gone too long he'd end up just bursting into his   
friends houses by floo powder.  
  
Harry was once again sat as his desk, peering at the letter.  
  
*Draco,  
How is your summer going? Mine's been really dull, just stuck in the   
house all day doing homework. Professor Snape's house must be really   
interesting (Harry had written that part with a huge scowl on his face, but   
determined to write something nice.) Maybe we could all meet up before   
school and do something?   
Harry.*  
  
Harry didn't particularly want to meet up with Draco, inside or outside of   
school, but Draco had saved Ron and Hermione, and Sirius seemed to   
think he was bored. Plus, Harry really didn't think Draco would take him   
up on his offer. Harry blew the ink until it was dry, then gave it to Hedwig   
who took off in the midday sun.  
  
Bored was a serious understatement. Draco glared at the sun as if it had   
personally offended him. Draco had taken Snape up on his offer because,   
basically, Draco had no-where else to go. He supposed he could have gone   
back to Malfoy Manor, but he didn't want to see it now it was empty. His   
mother had gone missing, Draco assumed she had gone back to the Death   
Eaters. He had thought staying with Snape wouldn't be so bad, his potions   
teacher must have an interesting house with plenty to keep him occupied.   
He had been proven wrong. Severus Snape's house was the dullest place   
Draco had even had the misfortune to visit. All Snape did all day was   
experiment with new potions, scribbling them down in his notebook and   
muttering to himself. Draco had taken to wandering around the   
surrounding countryside, but this only aggravated him further. Draco was   
not an outdoors person. And now, here he was, sat on the lawn outside   
Snape's detatched house, glaring at the sky, a crumpled piece of   
parchment in his hand. It had come that morning, with the official looking   
seal of the Ministry of Magic. It basically was asking him to go back to   
Malfoy Manor and collect what belonged to him, before the Ministry   
confiscated the lot. How dare they! The Malfoy's had been living in that   
house for generations, some of the objects inside were priceless! Of   
course, some were also highly illegal, but Draco didn't care about those.   
Things like that related back to his father, someone Draco was all too   
happy to banish memories of.  
It felt horrible to admit it, but Draco didn't want to go back alone. He   
didn't want to ask Snape, but it was looking like he would have to. He   
could just imagine Snape trawling through his personal possessions,   
making comments about his father. Draco knew Snape and Lucius had   
hated each other. But Draco couldn't think of anyone else to ask.   
Scowling, he got up and began to walk back to the house to ask Snape. As   
he got to the door, he heard the swish of wings, and something heavy   
landed on his shoulder. It was another letter, written in pretty horrendous   
handwriting. Draco's jaw dropped in disbelief. Harry? Harry Potter was   
offering to meet up with him before school? Trying to work out the   
reasoning behind this left Draco's mind blank. Obviously Harry had some   
guilt thing going on, he would never have written otherwise. Then a   
thought entered his brain before he could stop it. Would Harry come to the   
Manor? Draco stopped dead in the hallway. Where had that come from?   
He didn't want Potter in his house any more than Snape! No, Snape was   
the best choice, not that there was a choice, because there was no way he   
would ever invite Potter. Ever.   
  
Lupin and Harry had been chatting for an hour, Harry showing him   
Sirius' letter and explaining what he wrote to Draco. Lupin seemed to find   
it highly amusing that it took Harry so long to write such a short letter to   
Draco. As Harry was going to reply, Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed in   
through the open window. Lupin deftly caught him with a lazily   
outstretched hand, handing the two notes to Harry. The first was from   
Ron, asking Harry to stay at the Burrow the next week. Lupin smiled   
indulgently as Harry whooped. The second was from Hermione. Pig had   
obviously been to her first. She was also going to stay at the Burrow. As   
Harry began to scrawl his reply, a tapping made them both look up.   
Hedwig was back already.  
"Probably wouldn't even accept my letter." Said Harry. Lupin ignored him   
and let Hedwig in. He unravelled the letter and raised an eyebrow.   
"What?" Asked Harry.   
"I think before you write your reply to Ron you should read this." said   
Lupin. Harry took the letter curiously and began to read.  
  
*Harry,   
I'll take you up on your offer. I need someone to accompany me to Malfoy   
Manor. Professor Snape is too busy, and since you already owe me I think   
you should do it. Be here on Monday.  
Draco Malfoy*  
  
"Owe him!" Shouted Harry furiously. "I don't owe him anything!"  
"Except your two best friends." Said Lupin. Harry glared at him. Lupin   
continued, "You shouldn't have offered if you weren't going to go   
through with it."  
"But Ron and Hermione will be at The Burrow!" Harry whined.  
"Why don't you ask if you can bring them along? After all, they 'owe'   
Draco too." Harry could just imagine Ron's reaction to that idea. Harry   
looked at Lupin helplessly, an invitation in each hand. Lupin's face   
remained impassive. Defeated, Harry sighed, slouched onto the settee,   
then looked up.  
"Ron's going to kill me." He said.  
  
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  
ok, I seriously need help with this chaptering thing. If anyone had worked   
it out, mail me! Adelina.Holmes@theseed.net  
  



	3. Chapter3

Author's notes: ok, I can do the chaptering thing! woohoo! ok, to answer   
some questions, no, this is not just going to be a summer fic, yes there will   
be some r/h, and it was Voldie that appeared when the earthquake   
happened. K?  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the story.  
  
*Resisitance* - Chapter 3  
  
Ron stared at the letter in his hand in utter disbelief. This had to be some   
sort of sick joke.  
"Dad!" He yelled. "Can I use the fellytone?"  
"What?" Ron grimaced at the letter then took the stairs to the kitchen two   
at a time.   
"What?" His father repeated.  
"Can I use the fellytone to talk to Harry?" Ron noticed his mother's face   
go stony. Mr Weasley looked in her direction a little nervously.   
"Er.....can't you just write to him Ron?" Ron explained about the letter in   
his hand in tones of disgust, and about how he really had to get it sorted   
out. Thankfully this seemed to take his mother's mind off their enchanted   
muggle telephone, and she let him use it. She had vowed to make Arthur   
take all enchanted muggle objects out of the house, but after much   
persistence the telephone had stayed. Ron dialled the number and waited   
impatiently for Harry to answer.  
  
"Hello?" Said Harry, picking up the phone. He then had to hold the   
earpiece a foot away from his head to stop his eardrums from bursting.   
Ron was taking the news even worse than he expected. Harry counted to   
ten then swiftly interrupted Ron's rant.  
"Ron there's nothing I can do about it, I have to go, Sirius made me write   
to him. You don't have to come if you don't want to." Harry said all of   
this in a suitably wheedling voice, as he really didn't want to go on his   
own. There was a pause on the other end.  
"Why does he want us to go anyway?" asked Ron finally. Harry grinned,   
once Ron got curious about something he would normally give in.  
"I think he has to collect some stuff or something. He didn't say much in   
his letter."  
"Well what did he say?" Sighing, Harry retrieved the offending letter and   
read it out. Ron's reaction was the same as his had been.  
"Owe him! We don't owe him anything!"   
"Except the whole saving our lives thing."  
There was another pause, in which Harry thought he could hear muffled   
swearing. Then,  
"Right, fine, but I'm not staying for more than a day, and I'm not   
promising Hermione will come either. And I'm not being nice."  
Harry smiled.  
  
And so it was that Harry, Ron and Hermione fell out of the fireplace of   
Malfoy Manor that Monday morning. Harry and Hermione had made a   
brief stop at The Burrow, dropping their trunks off, then they had all taken   
the floo network together. Harry picked up his glasses which had once   
again cracked, and fixed them with a tap of his wand. None of the three   
seemed to want to take another step, so Harry shrugged them off and set   
off down the corridor. harry had expected an opulent mansion, thick   
carpets and gold leaf, but what he saw was much closer to a huge   
dungeon. In fact, for a moment it looked like they were heading for a   
potions lesson. Hermione and Ron followed. Hermione had not put up so   
much of a fight as Ron, as she really did believe that they owed Draco   
their lives. Ron has a suspicion that the rumours of the Malfoy's huge   
library might have had something to do with it.   
Harry looked at his watch, which as well as telling him that they were five   
minutes early, told him that he himself was 'visiting', and Sirius was   
'hiding'.   
"Well where is he?" Said Ron impatiently.  
"Shhh, Ron, we're early." Said Hermione.  
"Don't 'shush' me, it's not like there's anyone here!" Harry winced as   
their bickering echoed off the grey stone walls, and he headed towards a   
heavy looking wooden door.   
"Don't open that!" Draco's voice rang out from the fireplace, Ron and   
Hermione shut up immediately. It was a very strange sight. Harry, hand   
inches from the door handle, frozen still, Ron, arms folded, scowling,   
Hermione, red and flustered and Draco, sat, covered in soot it the   
fireplace,   
trying to look superior. Hermione was suddenly seized by a fit of the   
giggles. Draco glared at her as he picked himself up, still trying to look   
smug, but failing miserably. He turned his frustration on Harry.  
"I didn't say you could bring them!"   
"Um, I just thought that whatever we are doing would go faster with four   
of us."   
"Oh! Did you! I must have forgot, the great Potter intellect is second to   
none, because you thought it, it must be right!" Harry bristled.  
"Listen, Draco, I didn't have to come here at all, it might surprise you to   
know that I have a life!"  
"Yes! You have a life thanks to me!" Now Ron stepped in.  
"We would have done just fine without you Malfoy!"  
"Stay out of it, Weasel." Ron's face went very red, and no doubt he would   
have said something nasty had Hermione not interrupted.  
"Look, obviously none of us wants to be here, so why don't we get on   
with whatever it is we're supposed to be doing and leave?" While saying   
this she gently tugged on Ron's arm, steering him away from Draco.   
Harry could hear Ron muttering to her. Harry turned to Draco.  
"So!" he said with forced brightness, "Where do we start?" Draco scowled   
at him.  
  
They were working through the rooms on the top floor first. Draco had led   
then through an expansive entrance hall with a sweeping stone staircase.   
He had led them to the first upstairs room of eight and barked out a few   
orders, causing Ron to make some unpleasant signs behind his back.   
Hermione had apparently forbidden him from arguing anymore. Harry   
sneezed as he sealed another cardboard box of musty books. Draco had   
wandered off to his old bedroom, and had just given them a list of what   
was being kept and what wasn't.  
"I can't believe this is how I'm spending my summer!" Ron burst out.  
"It's just one day Ron." Hermione had been repeating this like a mantra.  
"But he's not even grateful!"  
"It's just one day." Hermione refused to get into an argument. Ron's   
temper might have been better had Hermione not been reading more books   
than packing them, but apparently he wasn't commenting. Harry grinned   
behind the boxes as Ron rolled his eyes in a good natured way and   
Hermione giggled.   
  
As they finished up the second room they found Draco locking what they   
assumed was his old bedroom. There were just two boxes by his feet.  
"Travelling light?" asked Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Draco   
didn't answer, just said,  
"In there next." He gestured with a nod towards a set of double doors.   
Hermione pushed one open and lit the torches with her wand. It was a   
long low hall, with a huge wooden table running down the middle.   
"Conference room?" asked Harry.  
"Something like that." Sneered Draco. Looking at the black drapes of   
material and the black polished table Harry suddenly understood what   
kinds of meeting had happened here. Draco moved to the only other piece   
of furniture, a black wooden chest against one wall. Harry walked over   
curiously. Draco opened it and rummaged around. Then he something out.   
Harry didn't see what it was as his attention was taken up by what was   
now hovering in the air. Whatever Draco was holding had emitted a   
silvery mist, and it was now forming lines and words in the air.   
"What is that?" Asked Ron. Draco seemed to remember they were there   
and quickly put the object away in a black velvet pouch. Harry glimpsed it   
as the words faded, it was a metal cylinder engraved with intricate   
patterns.  
"It's a family tracer. It shows whoever holds it their family tree and can   
show the life story of their ancestors." said Hermione. Draco stood up   
abruptly and went to move out of the room.  
"Never heard of them." Ron snorted  
"That's because I'm from a respected old wizarding family and   
you......well." Said Draco, looking Ron up and down. Hermione and Harry   
shared a glance, then Hermione quickly led a fuming Ron out of the room   
and Harry distracted Draco by asking what they should do next. Hermione   
and Harry were spending alot of time stopping fights. Strangely, Draco   
hadn't said anything offensive about Harry's family yet, but Harry was   
sure it wouldn't last long.  
  
When they had finished with the top floor, Ron announced he wasn't   
doing anything else until they had eaten. Draco had gone off, muttering to   
himself, and returned ten minutes later with some loaves of bread and   
sandwich fillings and left them to it. Hermione had sat down on one of the   
stone steps and started buttering bread.  
"I wonder where he's gone." she said.  
"Who cares." said Ron, eating a slice of ham.  
"Ron you've got to give him some slack, his father's just been sent to   
Azkaban!"   
"Yes, because Draco sent him there. He can't be too bothered about it, can   
he!"  
"He is, he's just not letting on." Hermione shoved a sandwich in Harry's   
direction. He muttered a 'thank you' but Ron was already off again.  
"Hermione, he's being his usual horrible self, and as soon as we've paid   
off this 'debt'," Ron made quote marks in the air, " he won't ever speak to   
us again. He just needed someone to carry his stuff for him."  
While they argued, Harry drifted back towards the heavy set door that had   
drawn his eyes when they first arrived. It was much thicker than the other   
doors, and had a secure looking metal lock. Harry peered into the keyhole,   
but could only see black on the other side.  
  
Draco hadn't stopped to eat. He wanted to get out of this place as fast as   
possible. He could hear Ron and Hermione bickering on the staircase. It   
sounded wrong in this house. No-one had ever argued in this house. Draco   
suddenly shivered. He really wanted to get out of here. Abandoning this   
room, he went back out into the entrance hall, and was going to tell them   
they could go. Harry was back infront of the black door. A memory stirred   
in the back of Draco's head.   
"Don't open that!" He shouted on impulse. Harry looked up at him,   
curiously. Draco heard Ron and Hermione stop arguing.  
"I can't anyway." Said Harry. "It's all locked up."  
"Oh." For some reason, Draco found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He   
stiffened however at Ron's voice behind him.  
"Awww, is ickle Draco not allowed in that room?" he scoffed. Draco   
scowled at him.  
"I can go where I wish." He said coldly, trying to inject some confidence   
into his voice. Something inside, something long forgotten was telling him   
not to open that door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry watching   
him.  
"Except in there." pressed Ron.  
"Ron..." said Hermione  
"No, Hermione, Draco here's acting all 'Lord of the Manor', when he's   
still too afraid of daddy to do what he wants."  
  
Ron was trying to bait Malfoy into a fight, he had had a terrible day and   
wanted to go home. But instead of getting angry, Draco seemed to be   
getting more and more uncertain. He looked just like he did when he stood   
up to his father, pale and alone. The grey eyes darted once to the door,   
then fixed on Harry. He had a slightly pleading look.  
"I'm not supposed to go in there." Ron felt like laughing, but the   
atmosphere seemed to have changed. Harry was watching Draco intently,   
both just staring at each other. Hermione had hold of Ron's arm, a   
physical barrier to shut him up. They all stood, frozen. Harry broke the   
silence.  
"Can we go in there?" He asked gently. This seemed to panic Draco. He   
glanced at the door again, then a shadow of his old sneer returned.   
"Do what you want."   
  
Harry stepped back up to the door and drew his wand. He heard Draco   
suck in a huge breath.   
"Alohomora." Harry found himself whispering. He had a strange feeling   
that Draco needed this door to be opened. The lock clicked. Harry turned   
back to look at Draco, who seemed to be in some sort of trance. His pale   
eyes looked huge in his face, he seemed ready to bolt at any moment.   
Cautiously Harry turned the iron handle and pushed the door open. He felt   
the others step a little closer behind him, and they all squinted into the   
dark.   
"Lumos." Hermione whispered. The torches in the room were lit. Harry   
felt his breath leave his chest, and felt Draco sway next to him. It was   
another plain stone room with no windows, but none of them noticed.   
Harry stepped back in shock.  
  
Harry had backed into Hermione, and she didn't blame him. Just the smell   
was enough to make her want to run. Her eyes flickered past varoius   
gruesome sights, each more horrible than the next, until they fixed with a   
sort of numb horror on the far wall. This, among the many skeletons in the   
room, was the smallest. Stretched out with chains and metal bars holding   
it in position, this child could only have been five or six years old. Filthy   
rags fell like old skin from their bones, and Hermione was forced to close   
her eyes and turn away. She was joined by Ron, who bent down, gripping   
his knees and taking deep breaths. When she had recovered a little, she   
turned back. Harry had extinguished the lights and had stepped inside the   
room a little to grasp the door. Draco was stood in the same place, as   
though frozen, but even from here she could see him shivering. The door   
closed with a final clunk, and Harry let go of his mouth and nose. He   
looked slightly green. She watched him reach out to Draco, who jumped   
when touched, and say something in his ear. A barely perceptible nod,   
then Harry was leading him away without a backward glance at the other   
two, back towards the fireplace.  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter4

Author's notes : Oooo, bit of gruesomeness for you there, don't know   
what came over me. Of course you can expect more. :) Thankyou all the   
lovely reviewers, I'll try and keep the rest of it just as interesting.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the story.  
  
*Resistance* - Chapter 4  
  
Ron watched as Harry disappeared in the flames, one arm still supporting   
Draco. He turned to Hermione, who was as white as a ghost.  
"Where'd they go?"  
"Oh, um, I think Harry's taken him back to Snape's house."  
"Oh." Neither of them knew what to say, both still reeling from the   
horrors revealed behind the black door. Hermione shivered, and Ron   
almost unconsciously led her back to the staircase to sit down.   
"So.... we should wait here then?" He asked her.   
"I guess so. I hope he doesn't take too long." She leant her head against   
Ron's shoulder. Ron felt himself go a bit pink, and silently hoped Harry   
wouldn't rush back too quickly.  
  
Harry felt Draco pitch forwards as they reached Snape's, and grabbed him   
by the back of his robes. Harry choked on some soot, he never got used to   
floo powder. Glancing around, he saw Snape's summer residence looked   
normal enough. A bit like Privet Drive in fact, all neatness and no   
personality. Seeing Draco was still in shock, Harry called out hesitantly,  
"Hello?" There was no answer, but his call seemed to wake Draco up a   
bit. He turned to Harry and said,  
"He'll be in his study. He's always in his study." He said this a little   
resentfully, then the glazed look came back. Harry heard glass clinking   
behind the door at the end of the hall, and checking Draco wasn't going to   
collapse, moved towards it. He knocked, and the scraping noises stopped.   
"What is it now Draco?" It was unmistakably Snape's voice, but Harry   
had never heard him say Draco's name with such contempt. Harry pushed   
the door open. Snape looked up irritably, then his eyes widened in   
surprise.  
"Potter? What are you doing here?"  
"Um, we found something at Malfoy Manor. Draco was a little,..... upset   
and....." But he was cut off by Snape striding past him and into the hall.  
Draco was still staring into space. Snape looked from him to Harry and   
back again.   
"What did you find?" He asked, not unkindly, but Harry felt this was a   
little blunt. Seeing that Draco wasn't going to answer, Harry said,  
"It was a chamber. A... a torture chamber." He whispered the last words,   
afraid Draco might withdraw even more. But it seemed to have the   
opposite effect, Draco shook himself a little, and the light returned behind   
his eyes. He looked up at Snape.  
"I looked in there once when I was little. Father shouted so badly......." He   
trailed off again. Snape considered them both. Then he brushed past Harry   
without a word. Harry saw him write a note and attach it to an eagle owl's   
leg. It swooped out of a high window. Then Snape marched back towards   
the fireplace, knocking Harry out of the way.   
"Where are your things, Draco?"  
"Oh, um, still there, with Granger and Weasley." Harry almost laughed to   
himself as the sneer returned. Draco was obviously feeling a bit better.   
Snape turned to Harry.  
"I take it you are staying with Weasley?" Harry nodded. "Go back to his   
house and explain what you found. I will send Weasley and Granger   
back." Harry looked uncertainly at Draco.  
"But..."  
"I will handle this, Potter." This was said with such finality Harry felt his   
legs move towards the fireplace. Draco didn't look at him as he passed.   
Realising there was nothing more he could do, Harry took a pinch of the   
proffered powder and was gone with a shout of,   
"The Burrow!"  
  
Harry felt a pair of hands grab him as he fell out of the fireplace. It was   
Mr Weasley, looking especially grave.  
"Hello Harry." He said, pulling Harry to one side and looking at the now   
empty fireplace.  
"Ron and Hermione might be a while." Said Harry. Mr Weasley looked   
up, confused. Harry continued, "We found something at Malfoy Manor   
and I had to take Draco back to Sn..I mean Professor Snape's house. He's   
going to tell them to come back here."  
"Found something?" Mr Weasley's eyes sparkled, and Harry remembered   
how he wanted to find the dark magic objects in Malfoy Manor.  
"Hello Harry." Came another voice before Harry could reply. Harry was   
startled to see Albus Dumbledore in the Weasley's kitchen.  
"Hell..hello Professor." Harry was completely thrown, what was going on?   
He asked as much.   
"I think it best I explain when the youngest Mr Weasley and Miss Granger   
join us...Ah!" On cue, Hermione and a very peeved looking Ron appeared   
in the fireplace. Ron turned his look on Harry and was about to start   
ranting when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and gestured to   
Dumbledore. Ron's face showed the confusion Harry was feeling.  
"Well," said Dumbledore, "Shall we adjourn to the living room?"  
  
Harry realised the headmaster must have been talking to the Weasleys   
already, they were all sat together waiting for him. None of them looked   
too happy.  
"What's wrong?" asked Ron.  
"Perhaps you should tell us what happened at Malfoy Manor first." said   
Dumbledore smoothly. Harry told them about packing all of Draco's   
things up, about how Draco seemed afraid to go into this one room, and   
the feeling he had that it was important they open the door. He then told   
them what they had found in as little detail as possible, as the thought of it   
still made him feel ill.  
"So, so maybe someone should go over to the Manor?" Said Hermione.  
"No doubt Severus has informed the proper authorities." said   
Dumbledore.  
"Yes but..." Hermione seemed a little hesitant, then pressed   
on,"...Professor Snape isn't the most understanding of people, and Draco   
seemed really upset." Obviously Hermione was thinking the same as   
Harry, that Draco needed to talk to someone like Dumbledore. After all,   
he was his student.  
"Unfortunately Miss Granger, it is no longer in my realm to offer   
assistance."   
"What do you mean?" asked Ron. Harry noticed the sombre expressions   
in the room grow. Dumbledore sighed.  
"I have been asked to relinquish my role as Headmaster of Hogwarts."   
Harry felt his mouth drop open. He was about to protest but Hermione   
beat him to it.  
"But, ....but you can't!"  
"I'm afraid 'asked' was perhaps not a strong enough word." Said   
Dumbledore. Hermione looked lost for words.  
"But, you can argue can't you? You're aren't going, are you?" Said Ron, a   
hint of a plea in his voice.  
"This had come straight from the Minister himself, Ron." Said Mr   
Weasley.  
"Fudge?" Said Harry suspiciously. "But last year....."  
"He was seen acting very suspiciously after the Geolite competition, yes I   
know." said Dumbledore with a sigh. " That is why I am here. No doubt   
he will have spun something for the Daily Prophet, but I wanted you to   
hear it from me. You must all be on your guard, I am not sure where   
Fudge's loyalties lie, I wish I was." On seeing their downcast expressions   
he added, "However, I will not be far away. You will be able to contact   
me whenever you wish. I will be continuing the fight along with Lupin   
and Sirius and all our loyal friends."  
"Continuing the fight?" Asked Fred. "But, You-Know-Who is gone, you   
beat him." Harry shared a look with Dumbledore.  
"No, I merely left him stranded for a while. No doubt he will find a way to   
return." Harry found his eyes straying to a discarded newspaper on the   
table, the word 'tremor' seemed to flash in neon at him. The atmosphere   
in the room took a definite downturn.  
"When do you leave?" Asked Ginny quietly.  
"And who'll replace you?" asked George.  
"I will go from here to join Sirius and the others, as to my replacement,   
I'm afraid I don't know." Mrs Weasley spoke up.  
"At least stay to dinner, Albus."  
"I'd be delighted."  
  
Dinner that evening was a strange affair. Harry listened to the   
conversations, they were talking about normal things, Quidditch, the   
weather. Hermione and Ginny were discussing Ginny's latest conquest. It   
was surreal, that evening, Dumbledore would be gone, and when they   
arrived at Hogwarts in a few days time he wouldn't be there. Harry didn't   
feel very hungry. After dinner, Dumbledore took he, Ron and Hermione   
aside.  
"I thought it most kind of you to offer to help Draco move his things."  
Harry squirmed a little.  
"Um, we didn't offer. He, sort of..."  
"Forced us." Finished Ron. There was a pause.  
"I see." Dumbledore stroked his long silver beard. "And what did you   
think of Malfoy Manor?"  
"It was horrible, all cold and dark. I thought they lived in a plush   
comfortable Mansion. And that room, those people...." Hermione trailed   
off looking repulsed.  
"Yes, strange how things can be the opposite of what we think they will   
be. Something you think is warm and inviting is actually hard and cold,   
and something you think is hard and cold can have it's hidden depths."   
Ron and Hermione looked lost but were nodding politely. Harry thought   
he knew what he was getting at. There was a question Harry had been   
meaning to ask.  
"Professor," Ron and Hermione excused themselves, "Draco acted like he   
couldn't go into that room, like his father was still there and would tell   
him off. He does realise that Lucius is gone?" Dumbledore considered   
him, then said,  
"Since a very young age, Draco had probably been aware of the evil   
taking place in that house, the evil his father was a part of. Unless he can   
break free of those memories, they will continue to control him."  
"How can he break free?" Harry wondered aloud.  
"I'm not sure that he can. The things his father has done are terrible, and   
for a child to see....well, it is distressing. The only way to ever really be   
beyond Lucius' control is if Draco forgives him for what he did, and   
forgiveness is one of the hardest gifts to give." Harry couldn't imagine   
forgiving Lucius, and he hadn't ever had to live in that house. Dumbledore   
looked at his pocket watch.   
"Unfortunately, it is now time for me to go." He moved away from Harry,   
through the living room to the kitchen fireplace.   
"Goodbye, Arthur, Molly." Mrs Weasley made a particularly loud sniff.   
Dumbledore turned to the assembled teens.  
"Remember, you may contact me at any time, I will not be far away."   
Harry found it hard to look at him. This couldn't be happening. A   
Hogwarts without Dumbledore?  
"You will see me again, I think." He paused, then grinned, making him   
look much younger. "Oh yes, you will see me again." Then, with a jaunty   
wave of his hand and a flash of floo powder, he was gone.  



	5. Chapter5

Disclaimer: I only own the story  
Author's notes: see bottom of the page  
  
Resistance - Part 5  
  
The remainder of the holidays passed quickly. Too quickly, in Harry's opinion. In a   
few days time they would be returning to Hogwarts for their sixth year, but with one   
important element missing: Dumbledore. The Daily Prophet had spewed out some line about 'early retirement' and about how Dumbledore was 'an example to wizards everywhere'. An example of what happens if you don't do what you're told, Harry had thought at the time. They were still in the dark over Dumbledore's replacement, and Harry couldn't imagine anyone taking the Mage's place. The upcoming year already seemed to have an air of gloom over it.  
  
Harry noticed he wasn't the only one not looking forward to school. Ron seemed perpetually tired, and when Harry joked about the library to Hermione, she didn't show the slightest interest. Harry suspected they weren't dealing with the events of their fifth year too well, but chose not to bring it up. He certainly didn't want to talk about it if he could avoid it.   
  
The bright point of his holiday had come the day after Dumbledore's visit. Sirius had turned up out of the blue, suitcase in one hand and broomstick in the other. Harry had hugged him so tight, he had laughingly complained about bruised ribs. Sirius stayed for a day, and Harry had been able to tell he was trying to lighten the atmosphere. Only once did their conversation veer away from birthdays and Quidditch.   
  
"So I hear you visited Malfoy Manor." Sirius had said nonchalantly.   
"I know what you are going to say", said Harry, " you're going to say how daft I was to force open a locked room in a Death Eater's mansion, and that I shouldn't have gone in the first place, and you're right, but at the time Draco had seemed so weird, and ....."  
"Breathe Harry!" Sirius had interrupted. "I wasn't going to say that at all." At Harry's disbelieving expression he'd continued, " I wanted to make sure you are all right. From what I hear that was a terrible thing to have to see. And I wanted to say.....I'm very proud of you."  
"What?" Harry was sure he'd heard wrong. No-one had ever said that before. "What....what for?"  
"You helped Draco even though you don't like him, you put your own horror at the situation on hold to get him back to Snape."  
"Well," Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't want him passing out or something. Snape would have killed me!" Then Sirius had laughed, much to Harry's relief. He was unused to receiving such sentiments, and wasn't really sure how to react. He just did things, one after the other, and hoped for the best. He often wondered why people seemed to be so amazed by that. The rest of the day had passed in a haze of Mrs Weasley's fabulous cooking, and Sirius had left, promising to visit Harry at school.   
  
Another person Harry knew didn't want to go back to school was Neville, but that was for entirely different reasons. The newly re-united Longbottom family had been writing a steady stream of letters to him. Neville's were full of complaints about endless house hunting and shopping for new clothes, and one whole letter was devoted to how sick he was of updating his dad's Quidditch knowledge, another of how bored he was of the endless visits of other relatives. Harry knew he was loving every minute of it. The only reference made to the circumstances under which they were once again made a family, was in the first letter from Mr and Mrs Longbottom. They had repeated over and over again how thankful they were to Harry, how glad they were Neville had such a wonderful friend, how much they wanted to se Harry again, and more besides. Harry had been quite embarrassed by it, and his response had said in no uncertain terms that they should just forget about his part in it, and instead just concentrate on being a family once more. Apparently he had been so blunt that they hadn't broached the subject again.  
  
A kind of nervous tension had appeared between Ron, Hermione and himself. It was once again as if they were just waiting for something bad to happen. Harry had been woken early one morning by Ron, mumbling something in his sleep. Late that morning when Harry had cautiously asked him about it, Ron's reply was "Oh, everything's fine, must have just been uncomfortable." He had worn the same fixed fake smile that Harry had used so often in the last year, but Harry hadn't pushed. Hermione had been working just as hard as ever, but she had lost her spark of enthusiasm. She was doing homework the same way that the boys did, as if it was a chore. Ron had also noticed, and had mentioned it to Harry.  
  
"She seems a bit down, doesn't she." Harry had smiled inwardly at Ron's slightly pink ears.   
"Yeah. Maybe you should talk to her."  
"Me? Why me?" The ears were more red now.  
"Oh, you know, she listens to you more than me."   
"Does she?" Ron seemed quite pleased to hear this. Harry pressed on.   
"Oh definitely. Hangs on your every word."  
"Really?" His big smile changed into a strange look, and he gazed at her bent over her books for a few seconds. "Nah." The in a sarastic voice, "Herm-o-ninny knows best!" No more had been said, but Harry noted with satisfaction Ron spending more time with Hermione, and her ever improving mood.  
  
Since Sirius' visit, Harry hadn't been acting quite so much like a neglected puppy, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that all was not right. Apart from Dumbledore's dismissal, something was bothering him. Dumbledore's words were frequently coming back to him..... "No doubt he will find a way to return....." He was referring, of course, to Voldemort. Harry hadn't voiced this opinion for fear of alarming everyone, but at the back of his mind he was sure that Voldemort was already back. He'd had no dreams to certify this, and there had been no attacks, but he still knew it was true. But there was nothing he could do about it, last year had proven that. It had also made him promise something to Ron and Hermione. Whatever happened this year, it was happening to them all.  
  
Then, after what seemed like only a few days, summer was over. Things were being thrown, arguments were breaking out, owls were hooting in annoyance and there was general pandemonium. The Weasley's were packing, ready to face a new year.  
  
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  
  
Author's notes: Well, I'm back. I could beg forgiveness for this taking so long, but I won't, as the big piles of work and revision have been going down and I now have 4 weeks until my first A Level exam. Eeeeeek! Well, obviously not a lot of action there, but don't worry, I'm saving it all up so expect it in big dollops. Um, expect posting to be erratic, I wrote this chapter to de-stress myself about revision, so the next part could be tomorrow or weeks from now. Once again, I could offer hollow excuses for this, but, hey, 4 weeks. 4 WEEKS. Ok, going to pass out from lack of food and zero free time.   
  



	6. Chapter6

Disclaimer: I only own the story  
Author's notes: See bottom of the page.  
  
Resistance - part 6  
  
  
"Of!"  
  
In King's Cross Station, a bruised Ron Weasley tried to disentangle himself from   
Harry Potter. He wasn't fast enough, however, as Hermione Granger appeared in the   
waiting room fireplace and tripped over them both.  
  
"Um.....ow." came Harry's muffled voice.   
"Harry!" said Hermione indignantly, pulling herself up, "You and wizard transport!"  
"Herm, he can't help having two left feet." said Ron, also standing.  
"Gee thanks Ron."  
"No problem mate."  
"Harry! Ron!"  
From his position on the floor, Harry observed three pairs of legs hurrying towards   
them. Ron and Hermione grabbed one of his arms each and dragged him upright, just   
before the Longbottoms pushed through the crowd.  
"Hey Neville, Mr and Mrs Longbottom." Harry heard muttering behind him to signal the arrival of the other Weasleys.  
"Harry." Mrs Longbottom then got very misty eyed and scooped Harry into a hug. When she finally let him go, Harry had no idea what to say. Hermione saved him.  
"So, Neville, how was your summer?"  
"Oh, it was amazing, I went all over the place, I saw the Great Warlock Caves in Alaska, the Emerald Fields, then I went to where the Salem Witch Trials were held. Oh, I mean.....we went. Me, and, Mum and Dad." Neville looked a little uncertain at this point, but a one-armed hug from his father brought back his contented smile. Hermione seemed very impressed.   
"The Emerald Fields? Really? Is it true that in the presence of magic all the flowers open up?"  
"Yes it is!" said Neville excitedly, "You should have seen it Hermione......"   
  
Harry half listened to the conversation. Mr and Mrs Longbottom were slightly unnerving him. He was used to people looking at him as if he were something special, but they were looking at him, well, in awe. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He whispered to Ron,  
"Um, just going to get something to eat."  
"I'll come with you." said Ron instantly.   
"No, it's ok."  
"No, it's fine."  
"Ron," Harry sighed, "you don't have to follow me everywhere I go. It's perfectly safe."  
"I know that. But I also know what has happened to you other times you've wandered off."  
  
Ron glared at his best friend. He knew he was being a bit Percy-like, but he couldn't shake the feeling that if he lost sight of Harry horrible things would start happening. They hadn't said anything to Harry, but Ron and Hermione had agreed; Harry had been just a little bit too good at lying in their last year. Ron wasn't about to give him the opportunity again. He watched his friend's set face dissolve into resignation.  
"Right, fine, let's go then." Harry said. Ron tried not to look too smug as they headed for the food stand. As they each picked out some food, Ron commented,   
"Neville seems really happy, doesn't he." Harry glanced back at the group.  
"Yeah." He said, with a sort of confused smile.  
"What?" asked Ron.  
"It's just, the whole of last year seems so unreal. I can't believe it all turned out so well."  
"You're telling me." agreed Ron. The three friends hadn't gone into great detail in their talks about the fifth year, having silently agreed that it was now in the past and it was on to the next adventure. Harry stayed quiet, so Ron added,  
"But it did though, didn't it? Mum, Dad and Sirius are ok, Neville's happier than ever, and You-know-who is gone." He cheeky grin faded slightly as Harry remained pensive. Then his short friend sighed.  
"Yeah, you're right. Come on," he looked at his watch, "The train'll be leaving without us!"   
  
Ron looked at his watch and saw Harry was right. He headed back towards Hermione and Neville, but Harry hurried straight past them towards the barrier. Ron glanced at Neville's parents.  
"Um, well, it was nice to see you." They were looking after Harry's retreating back, then seemed to notice what he'd said.  
"Oh, yes, very nice." There was a pause, then they turned to Neville.  
"Right, Nev, you sure you've got everything?" Ron turned from Neville's slightly blushing face to Hermione.   
"Hey, lets leave them to it, ok?" Hermione smiled, and they told Neville they would meet them on the train. Harry had already vanished through the barrier, and Ginny and her parents had gone through straight away.   
"So," she said as they paused infront of the deceptively solid looking wall, "ready for another year?"  
Ron took a deep breath, then on impulse, took Hermioe's hand. She didn't appear to notice, save the flush in her cheeks.  
"Yep, I am." he said, and he pulled her through the barrier.  
  
Harry headed towards the back of the train, feeling slightly ashamed of the way he avoided the Longbottoms. He knew he'd have to apologise to Neville later, but he just didn't feel up to going over the memories of last year again. Students chattered all around him, and he caught bits of conversation.  
".....wonder who'll teach DADA....."  
".....I can't believe you cut your hair!......."  
"......you were in Bermuda? I'm so jealous!......."  
"...says it's bound to be a top-ranking wizard who replaces him......"   
At this point, all of Harry's anxieties returned. In a few hours, they would meet their new Headmaster. New Headmaster. New Headmaster, that wasn't Dumbledore. It just wasn't right. His brain thus occupied, he trudged into the last compartment, completely oblivious to it's other occupant. That's why he jumped a foot in the air when Draco Malfoy said,  
"Hello Potter." Turning to glare at him, Harry said,  
"Malfoy, you scared the crap out of me." Seeing the trademark smirk appear on Draco's face, Harry bit out, "Why are you sat in here, anyway?"  
"Everywhere else is full." Draco's voice remained calm, unlike Harry's.  
"What about your goons, Crabbe and Goyle? Won't they miss you?"  
"I doubt it, as they're in Durmstrang." Harry's mouth dropped open. Draco sighed.   
"Are you going to stand there looking like a goldfish all day?" Harry knew that Draco was right, all the other compartments were full. Throwing another nasty glance his way, Harry sank into a seat and started rooting through his bag. They sat for fully five minutes, Harry getting out things for the journey, his chess set, some food, and Draco staring out of the window, occasionally glancing Harry's way.  
"So....." Harry head Draco say, ".....where are Weasley and Granger? Off in some closet somewhere?"  
"What?" Said Harry, distractedly. He'd lost a chess piece.  
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Wow, you really are thick." Sighing, Harry looked up.  
"What are you talking about now, ferret?" Colouring slightly, Draco carried on,  
"I'm talking about the Weasel and the know-it-all going all mushy around each other. It's sickening."  
Harry was irritated. "Well, at least they've got someone that cares about them then." He instantly regretted it. Draco's face fell, and he turned his head back to the window.  
"Look, Malfoy, I didn't mean, look, you just..." Harry sighed. "You have to stop pissing me off!" Draco blinked and looked at him. Harry carried on, now rooting through his trunk for the chesspiece. "I don't understand you, you mouth off at me and my friends all the time, then turn round and try to have a conversation. And, then you make us come to your house, when there must have been other people to help you. I just don't get it." He raised his hand triumphantly, the missing piece wriggling about in his hand.  
  
"Well there wasn't anyone else." Said Draco shortly. He had no idea why he said it, it just felt like something in him was fighting to be heard. "I didn't want to ask Snape because I've discovered this summer he is a total ass, Goyle and Crabbe are long gone and all the other Slytherins are losers. Besides, you are the one who wrote to me." He watched the other boy's face twist up slightly.  
"You think Snape is a ...total ass?" He seemed to be trying to contain his laughter.   
"Well, yes. What else do you call someone who only eats noodles and has to call his mother twice a day?" Draco was a little surprised when Harry let out a snort of laughter. He had never seen him laugh before, whenever they spoke he was usually glaring. Harry carried on laughing, then he must have noticed Draco's bemused expression, and said,  
"Sorry, mental image, Snape in that Vulture hat and that dress, calling his mum!" He again dissolved into laughter, and Draco felt something bubble up in his chest. He began laughing too.  
  
Ron and Hermione had been last on the train after saying their goodbyes to the Weasleys, who had told them Harry was already aboard. They got down to the last carriage, when Hermione halted Ron.   
"Listen." she said, putting her ear to the door. He did, and could hear muffled talking and laughter coming from inside. One voice was definitely Harry's and the other seemed familiar.   
"Well, he's cheered up a bit hasn't he?!" Ron commented when a particularly loud peal of laughter echoed down the hall.   
"Yeah, we'll have to thank whoever it is in there. It's ages since I heard Harry laugh." The train suddenly lurched forwards. "We should go in, he'll wonder where we've got to." Ron nodded and pushed open the door.  
"You sound like a pair of hyenas in here.........bloody hell!"  
  
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Author's notes: LMAO. Sorry, just imagining Ron's reaction. LOL. Anyway, don't know where this come from, this thing is writing itself! I know how it ends, but everything in between is just appearing out of the air! This sub plot line just appeared and I have no idea what to do with it. See what revision does to you? Once again, fear not, action will appear. Next chapter (whenever it decides to write itself) will introduce us to Dumbledore's replacement. At least, I think it will, I thought this one would and look what happened!  
  
PS I just had to re-upload this whole thing. If there is demand, I'll put Every Time I Close My Eyes back on. Does anyone who hasn't read it want to?  



	7. Chapter7

Disclaimer: I only own the story  
Author's notes: see bottom of the page  
  
Resistance - part 7  
  
"Malfoy!" Ron was beside himself. He strode over to where Malfoy was gasping for   
breath and yanked him to his feet. He heard Harry call his name in between laughing,   
but concentrated on the irate looking boy in front of him.  
"What have you done?" Ron shouted in his face. "A laughing charm? Because   
whatever you did you better undo it...."  
"What are you talking about Weasel I didn't do anything!" Ron felt his face redden as   
his anger increased.  
"Don't try worming out of it Malfoy...."  
"Ron, wait..." Harry choked out, getting control of himself. "He didn't do anything,   
he just made me laugh is all."  
"Draco Malfoy made you laugh?" Ron hissed at him, disbelieving. He watched Harry   
take a steadying breath.  
"Stranger things have happened, Ron." Harry held his gaze. Malfoy cleared his   
throat.  
"Well, lovely as this has been, would you mind letting go so I can find some people   
worth speaking to?" Only too happy to oblige, Ron swung Malfoy bodily towards the   
door sending him staggering, and he left with his trademark sneer.  
  
Hermione walked over to Harry and peered into his eyes.  
"Are you sure he didn't do anything to you?"  
"Yes!" he said emphatically. He was still a little red from laughing, but she couldn't   
see anything amiss.  
"Hmmm, well, you should be more careful, Harry." He rolled his eyes at her, like he   
always did when anyone worried. Hermione wondered if he did that just to irritate   
people, because it certainly did that to her. She turned to Ron.  
"And you, Ron, need to control your temper!" Another eye roll. When she raised an   
eyebrow he said,  
"Herm, I hardly expected him to be in here, did I?" She watched him turn to Harry   
with narrowed eyes. "What was he doing in here, anyway?" He said this faintly   
accusingly.  
"He said everywhere else was full and I couldn't be bothered arguing with him."  
"Everywhere else is full? Good, he can just sit in the corridor then can't he." Ron   
flopped into a chair and scowled, and Hermione felt herself smile. She wondered if he   
knew how protective he had become of their friend.  
  
It took a while for Ron to calm down, but Harry managed to coax him into a game of   
chess which totally occupied his attention. He stared at the board, waiting for Harry to   
move. He didn't. Ron glanced up to see Harry staring out the door window with a pre-  
occupied expression. Ron looked that way but there was no-one there. Hermione was   
engrossed in a book, so he gave Harry an experimental prod.  
"Earth to Harry?" He watched the green eyes blink, then focus back on reality.  
"What? Oh, right, sorry."   
"Where were you?" asked Ron.   
"Oh, um, just thinking about who the new Headmaster could be." Ron saw Hermione   
perk up out of the corner of his eye.  
"Well," she said authoritatively, "It could be any number of ministry officials. The   
last time it happened they just passed the position onto the deputy, but Professor   
McGonagall already said she wants to keep teaching, so......."  
  
Harry half listened to Hermione quoting from "Headteachers of Hogwarts - Warlocks   
and Witches in Power", but his eyes strayed back to the door. He wasn't really sat   
alone in the corridor, was he? Harry had an urge to stand up, just to see if there was   
anyone sat on the floor out there. Realising Hermione was rounding off, he mentally   
shook himself and tried to look attentive.  
  
".....so it could be any of them. What do you guys think?"  
Harry was saved from answering by the arrival of the food cart. Ron and Hermione   
each got a stack of cauldron cakes and went back to sit down, arguing about how far   
the train still had to go. Harry chose some cakes and a pumpkin pasty, and as he   
handed over the money he suddenly whispered,   
"Um, you didn't....er....pass, um, anyone out there.....did you?" Where did that come   
from? he thought, feeling very stupid under the witch's gaze.   
"I've been all down the train, dear. Are you looking for someone?" She said this very   
loud and Harry felt himself go a bit red as Ron and Hermione stopped arguing to   
listen.  
"No, no, nobody. Um, thanks for the food." 'Smooth', he thought despondently, 'real   
smooth'. The witch gave him a slightly confused smile then backed out of the   
compartment. Ron and Hermione were still watching him.  
"Everything ok?" Hermione asked.  
"Yes, great, glad she turned up, I'm starving!" As if to prove this he threw the food   
into an empty seat and tore the wrapper off the pasty, taking a huge mouthful. He saw   
Ron shrug at Hermione, and they too started eating. Harry swallowed, he really wasn't   
hungry, and told himself sternly to get a grip. It wasn't as if he cared of Draco Malfoy   
was sat somewhere all alone. After all he deserved it. He was an obnoxious git. he   
nodded his head to secure this opinion firmly in his head, as his eyes wandered back   
to the door window.  
  
For once it wasn't raining as the Express ground to a halt in Hogsmeade station. 'Well   
for once my hair will stay straight', Hermione thought. 'Not that anyone's noticed it's   
straighter,' she thought flippantly, then, glancing up at the back of Ron's red head she   
caught herself, thinking, 'not that I care of course'. Ron was calling out to the other   
Griffindor boys, so she turned to Harry, who was glancing all around the crowd.   
'Probably looking for Cho,' she thought.  
"Coming to the carriages?" she asked brightly.  
"Yeah, yeah, sure." he said, not moving. She grabbed his arm and headed purposely   
towards a waiting carriage. Ron ran up behind them, chattering about Dean's holiday   
touring famous Quidditch grounds. Hermione scowled to herself. 'Not more bloody   
Quidditch!' Harry climbed into the carriage ahead of her, and she saw him tense up.   
She climbed in, looking over his shoulder.  
"Oh hello Neville." He grinned at her. Harry had squished into a corner and Ron was   
still chatting animatedly, apparently to himself. Neville turned to Harry.  
"Hey Harry."   
"Um, hey, look, sorry about before...."  
"Forget about it, I understand." Said Neville. He was speaking with confidence, not   
the quiet voice Hermione was used to.  
"You do?" Harry sounded hopeful.  
"'Course. You get that 'famous Harry Potter' garbage all the time, and Mum and Dad   
are still getting used to you being a human being!" Hermione watched Harry smile,   
relaxing from his tensed position, and they joined Ron in their praise of Quidditch.   
Hermione smiled, pulling out her book, and muttered under her breath, "Boys."   
Realising the had rolled her eyes, she suddenly felt content. 'Maybe the three of us are   
still alike after all', she thought.  
  
Draco was attempting, unsuccessfully, to block out Pansy Parkinson's incessant   
whining. Apparently she had a terrible summer, and so of course wanted him to hear   
every minute detail. He looked at the staff table. There were two new faces, he   
assumed their new Headmaster and DADA teacher. He half-heartedly thought about   
starting a bet going about what kind of psycho thy were, but decided he couldn't be   
bothered. He had been listening to Pansy for what seemed like forever, having been   
forced to sit with her on the train. His eyes roved the great hall, and he realised he was   
looking anywhere but the Griffindor table. He purposefully looked over, sneer in   
place, and was confronted with green eyes, which changed from vague interest to   
glare as they met his. Draco turned his face away, attempting to listen to Pansy. A few   
minutes later, he flicked his eyes back, but Potter was listening intently to Weasley.   
The man on the stage suddenly stood up and walked to the dais.  
  
"Excuse me, students." The hall went silent. The man continued. Ron took in his   
appearance. The man looked only about thirty, with curly brown hair down to his   
neck. He was average height, average build, with average brown eyes. Everything   
about him said, 'dull'.  
"As you are all well aware, Albus Dumbledore has retired, and we of course wish him   
a long and peaceful time. My name is Professor Sebastian Biggs, and when the   
Ministry offered me this position I of course, jumped at the chance. You may be   
wondering about my credentials. I was deputy Headmaster of a small school in South   
Africa, which closed at the end of last term due to unfortunate circumstances. As it   
was a small school I tried to get to know all of the students under my care, which   
meant they always felt able to come to me with problems. I want to try and follow the   
same principles here, and so you may see me in some of your classes." Ron shared a   
look with Harry, who had folded his arms and was glaring slightly at the teacher's   
table.  
"Anyway," said Professor Biggs, "I am sure we will get to know each other, and I   
shall try to live up to my predecessors high standards. Before we all tuck into this   
fabulous meal, there are a few announcements. Allow me to introduce your new   
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dillard." The woman stepped   
forward, smiling shyly. The total opposite of the man next to her, she had cropped   
bright blond hair, curious bright eyes and an air of mischief. Ron noted several of the   
older boys elbowing each other excitedly.   
"Professor Dillard was also a teacher at my own school, and I trust you will make her   
feel welcome. As you should already know, The Forbidden forest is out of bounds at   
all times, and there is no magic in the corridors. Now, that's enough from me, so, with   
great thanks to the house elves who prepared this wonderful spread," Ron saw   
Hemione looking pleased, "let's eat!"  
  
Ron turned to Harry, who was attacking the drumstick platter.  
"He seems ok, bit dull maybe."   
"I guess." Harry said, not looking up.  
"Well, at least he looks sane, not like that Dillard woman." Said Hermione sniffily.   
Ron glanced back at the woman.   
"She has that look, like Fred and George get when they've been given a prank   
opportunity. But, yeah, Biggs does seem sane."  
"It doesn't matter if he's a complete loony, he's not......right." said Harry. Ron looked   
at Hermione over his head.  
"Harry, we'd all like Dumbledore to come back, but it's not going to happen, not yet   
anyway. As long as this guy isn't trying to bump you off he's ok for now."  
"It isn't only that. He's been chosen by the Ministry. Why? Because he probably   
agrees with everything Fudge says. You didn't see Fudge last year, he looked   
deranged. We can't trust him, so how can we trust this guy?" Ron watched Harry stab   
the chicken viciously, then looked back at the staff table. He privately thought Harry   
was over paranoid, but he had learned not to trust anyone completely at first glance.   
Was this Biggs just a puppet of Fudge's?  
  
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Author's notes: ok, must stop typing. No, really, my artwork is screaming to be done,   
my English exam is like, this far away *makes tiny space between thumb and index   
finger* and I have to find time to eat. Nice long chapter to keep you going, not idea   
what's going on, but the characters seem to. Hope you liked it :) Oh and my books are   
on loan, so I think I've spelt McGonagall and Griffindor wrong, but who cares! Oh,   
and isn't it annoying when your spellchecker doesn't recognise 'Ron'?  



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